These weekly emails are the culmination of 15+ years working in the food industry and a lifetime of being completely obsessed with good food and where to find it.

If you’ve known me for five minutes or five years, there’s a good chance we’ve talked about restaurants. Over the years, I’ve had countless requests from friends, and friends of friends, to send over lists of where to eat around the world. There is genuinely nothing I enjoy more than putting together recommendations for people.

Eventually those lists turned into a slightly obsessive map of 2,000+ places: hidden gems, culinary institutions and off-the-beaten-track recommendations, all either visited by me personally or recommended by people whose taste I trust completely.

You may be wondering what qualifies me to start a newsletter telling people where to eat (and occasionally what to order once you get there).

As a food photographer, I’ve spent years working alongside some of the best chefs and restaurants in the industry. I’m constantly learning from people who know food better than anyone. My love of restaurants and the stories behind them also led me to start Table Magazine, with Ola O. Smit and Dunja Opalko.

With each instalment, you can expect a curated list of recommendations with an accompanying Google Map, plus occasional mini interviews with chefs, restaurateurs, food writers, photographers and other people whose opinions I think are worth listening to.

From time to time, I’ll also share recipes from my partner Paul Brinicombe, a very talented chef in his own right.

Future newsletters will probably be shorter and more focused, so you can quickly find recommendations that interest you.

In the meantime, if there’s a city, region or category you’d like covered (best bakeries, anyone?), send me your requests, I’m all ears.

For the inaugural newsletter, I thought I would share a list of my favourite food & wine spots in London, where my food career first started.

These are all tried and true recommendations that I’ve spent countless hours at.

I’d love to hear what some of your favourite London spots are, just comment below.

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The Places I Always Recommend in London

Photo Credit: Sam Harris

Pophams Bakery | Hackney (and various locations)
Cafe and bakery by day, restaurant by night. There are a few locations across east London, but this is the largest one, with a homewares shop next door.
> Make sure to order: The Bacon Maple Pastry, or if you’re looking for something heartier, their sandwiches are perfecto 👌

The Mulwray | SoHo/Chinatown
If food is my first love, wine is my second. The Mulwray is a tiny wine bar, hidden on the 2nd floor of The Blue Posts Pub (a great pub for any beer lovers out there). Their menu changes daily and is divided into how adventurous you’re feeling. It’s perfect for date nights or catching up with friends, it’s very small, so no large groups unless you’re hiring the place out!
> Make sure to order: The wine list changes, but make sure to order something off of their bar menu, it’s made by the chefs from the Michelin restaurant located in the basement.

Quo Vadis | Soho
100 years old this year, Quo Vadis is a staple in the Soho dining scene. Partly for it’s delicious food and partly for their larger than life Chef Proprietor Jeremy Lee. If you know, you know.
> Make sure to order: Their smoked eel sandwich, and if you’re there in the summer their tomato salad is a must!

Bar Termini | Soho
Classic Italian bar, staff dressed in white coats. It’s small and vibey, making you forget that you’re in the heart of London. Their branding is also spot on, which doesn’t really matter, I’m a sucker for good branding.
> Make sure to order: The Peach Bellini

The Dusty Knuckle Bakery | Dalston
This place is always a good idea, but make sure to go early as they sell out of their pastries and their EPIC sandwiches often. You’re money will also help support their at-risk-youth programme and what’s better than that?
> Make sure to order: Literally any of their sandwiches.

Carousel | Fitzrovia
Every week Carousel hosts a new chef residency, meaning the entire menu, cuisine and vibe changes. Its a wonderful chance to try flavours from abroad and travel without ever leaving London.

Koya | Soho
This has been a firm favourite of mine for over ten years now and twenty-five years for Londoners! This quiet noodle bar in Soho packs a mighty punch, serving up bowls of udon and other traditional Japanese dishes. It is very popular though, so make sure to arrive early.
This is another one that I wouldn’t recommend groups go to, its all bar seating so really more than two people can be a bit uncomfortable.
> Make sure to order: You can’t go wrong with any of their noodles.

Smokestak | Shoreditch
My favourite BBQ outside of the states. The brisket bun with pickled chillies is UNREAL but there isn’t much on their menu that I wouldn’t recommend. The interiors are beautiful as well, all matte black, wooden and fogged glass.
> Make sure to order: The brisket bun, and their crispy ox cheek with anchovy mayo.

The Barbary | Neal’s Yard
An old client of mine and still one of my favourite places to go. It seems I love a restaurant with bar seating, there are a few tables to the side but their horseshoe bar is where you want to be. Thats where all the cooking happens, spend the night sipping on delicious cocktails and watch them work. This is actually a place where you can easily go eat by yourself without feeling unconscious. Again, no groups for this one either. This is a place to go by yourself or with one other person. It’s a godd place for a first date as the theatrics of the kitchen can
> Make sure to order: Their Cauliflower dish, Pata Negra Pluma and their Hashcake for dessert.

Gunpowder | Soho
I came to this one quite late but was totally bowled over by the flavours and dishes. A modern take on Indian food that keeps me going back time and time again. really can’t recommend this one enough. If you can' take advantage of their set lunch menu deal.
> Make sure to order: Kale, buna aubergine with goat cheese

Oma | London Bridge
Just perfection. I’d be hard pressed to pick a favourite dish here, and with the seasonal changing menu, chances are what I recommend won’t be available when you read this. Just know you’re in good hands and you can’t really go wrong with what you eat or drink here.
> Make sure to order: Whatever the sommelier tells you to order. They know their stuff.